Sand trap



W. H. WHITE SAND TRAP Nov. 14, 1950 Filed March 17, 1947 Patented Nov. 14, 1950 OFFICE SAND TRAP William H. White, Roanoke, Va., assigner to Morris B..Brewster Co., Inc., Chicago, Ill.

Application March 17, 1947, Serial No. 735,161

4 Claims. l

The invention relates to sand traps for delivering sand under air pressure, to railway rails.

Sand traps now in use, are equipped for delivering an initial vclean-out blast of sand to the -delivery pipe, for clearing it of any accumulation, and continued air pressure to the trap, for di.,m charging sand to the rails. In one type of sanding equipment, the `sand trap is manually controlled by a valve in the locomotive cab, with separate pipe connections between the .trap and said valve, for delivering air `to the sand delivery nozzle and to the clean-out duct, respectively. In another type of sanding equipment, the valve controlled by the engineer, is connected to the sand trap through a remote control valve, separa-te from and outside of, the casing of the trap, which controls the air for the clean-out blast and the air delivered to the sand discharge nozzle.

One object of the invention is to provide a sand trap with a casing which has a passage inu ternally formed `therein and a valve in said passage for automatically controlling the clean-out blast, and which vembodies the nozzle for discharging the sand from lthe trap, to both of which air is directly delivered by a single pipe from the engineers control valve. In the attainment of this object, a single pipe delivers air from .the engineers control valve `to the lcasing of the sand trap, for the clean-ont blast and the nozzle in the trap, so that a remote control valve separate from and outside of, the casing of the trap, is eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sand trap which includes a valve for `automatically controlling the clean-out blast, which is simple in construction land efficient in operation.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the detailed description.

The invention consists in the several .novel features hereinafter set forth, and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a vertical longitudinal section of a sand trap embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 3 is a detail of the valve seat for the `automatic valve for the clean-out blast.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line f'l-ll of Fig. '1.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section illustrating .a modified-form of the invention.

The invention is exemplied in a sand trap which comprises a single casing generally designated |10. This casing is formed with .an inlet leg II forthe sand, and a horizontally .extending 'LLI leg connecting .an inlet leg I2 .and an .inclined discharge leg I3. A ,pipe III for delivering sand to the rails, is communicatively connected to the discharge ,leg I3. An air nozzle l5 is :screwthreaded into a .wall of the casing IIJ, a-tone side of the lower por-tion of leg :I I., for directing :air into horizontal leg I2, and discharging .sand through leg I3 into the delivery pipe It. .Nozzle l5 is screw-threaded to 4a socket I6 in casing I0, for adjustment to vary the ,rate of discharge of the sand from the trap.

Air is -delivered ,to the trap, through a pipe I8., which is connected to the `engineers control valve in the locomotive cab and is connected lto casing Ill, by a fitting or coupling I9. A vertical duct 2S is integrallyformed in the casing and is communicatively connected to receive air from tting IS and pipe I8. Duct 2li `receives -air for delivery to the nozzle I5, for discharging sand, and also for delivery -to the clean-'out duct hereinai'ter described. A plug or head `2l is screwthreaded into the wall of the casing at the outer `side of duct 20, in axial alignment with nozzle I5, and seats against the lwall at the inner side o1 `said duct. Head 2.1 is provided with one :or more radialports 22, which communicatively conneet duct 2i] and a `socket 23 -in said head, for delivering air into the bore of nozzle I5 and impelling the sand through legs vI2 Yand I3, into delivery 4pipe M, A plug 24 is screw-threaded into the lower wall of casing I9 below leg -II for access .to saidleg, for dislodging .any sand which may become packed in the trap. \Air lfor the clean-out blast is delivered from the 'upper end of vertical duct 2l), which is in direct V.communication with the pipe I8 from the engfineers .control valve, via a semi-annular duct 28 which extends around one fside vof rthe iinlet leg II :of the casing, a longitudinally extending :or elongated valve chamber or Ypassage ,2l which .leads from duct .28, and .an automa-tic valve which controls'the flow of air Ato .a chamber 313 :adjacent one end 'oi the casing Iii, to a lzduct 4or nozzle 26, which .discharges air into the :delivery pipe 'Il'. Duct 28, valvechamber 2l, chamber 3A :and duct 25, are internally 4'and integrally formed in the casing Iftl, so v.that the air. for the clean-out blasts will be delivered from Apipe I8, .th-rough casing Iii, to the .clean-.out vdischarge duct. The valve for automatically Acontrolli-ng the .clean-.out blast, is .of the delayed action type, .for predeterminedly limiting the duration of the .clean-out blasts, kand is embodied in .the .casing Iii). This valve comprises a concave seat '3Il on the linner face of. a plug :3.I Vwhich is screw-.threaded in fthe casing at the front end of chamber 21 and a ball 32 adapted to close against said seat and move or roll longitudinally in the chamber 21. Ball 32 is of lesser diameter than the chamber 21, to permit air to pass around the ball and retard its closing against seat by air under pressure, and is of suiicient weight to retard its movement by air pressure and to gravitate from seat 3U, and roll rearwardly in chamber 21 when there is no air pressure in chamber 21. The seat is positioned so that the ball 32 will be lifted slightly by air pressure to retard its movement to the fully closed position. When air under pressure from duct 20, passes into chamber 21 upon initiation of a sanding operation, ball 32 will be retarded in its movement toward seat 30, sufficiently to cause a clean-out blast to pass through the duct 26 into the delivery pipe I4. In this manner, the delay in the seating of the ball, automatically controls the duration of the clean-out blasts. In some instances, it is desirable to permit a small volume of air to pass through the clean-out duct 26 during the entire sanding operation. When this is desired, a ne port 31 may be formed through the plug 3 I. This also prevents unseating of ball 32 in the event of any back pressure in duct 26 during the sanding operation.

The operation of the trap will be as follows:

For a sanding operation of the rails, the engineer will operate the control valve in the cab, to supply compressed air through pipe I8, to the duct 20. Normally, ball 32 will be positioned in chamber 21, some distance from the valve seat 30. duct 20, air will ilow through ports 22, socket 23, and nozzle I5, into the leg I2, and discharge sand from the trap into delivery pipe I4. Simultaneously, air will ilow via duct 28, into valve chamber 21. When air enters chamber 21, some air will low around ball 32 and will exert some pressure against ball 32, which is of lesser diameter than chamber 21. The lift necessary to seat the ball and the weight of the ball, will delay the engagement of ball 32 with its seat 3U. During this period of delay, air from chamber 21 will pass through the bore of plug 3l, into chamber 34, from which it passes through clean-out duct 26, into the delivery pipe, for the desired momentary or pre-determined, short'l clean-out blast to pipe I4. When the ball 32 closes the valve, the clean-out blast will be automatically discontinued during the remainder of the period during which the engineer may selectively control the delivery of air through nozzle I5, for the delivery of sand to the rails. When air is cut off at the engineers valve to the sand trap, at the conclusion of a sanding operation, the ball 32 will gravitate away from seat 30. The residual exhaust of air and sand through leg I2 and delivery pipe I4, will produce a degree of suction in duct 20 and passage 28, which will cause ball 32 to move farther away from seat 30, so that the ball Will be positioned a considerable distance from seat 30, when the next sanding operation is initiated. As a result, at the commencement of the next succeeding sanding operation, the ball 32 will be positioned away from seat 30, to delay its closing, for automatically controlling the duration of the clean-out blast. In practice, the weight of the ball and the relative diameters of the chamber 21 and the ball, may be varied to vary the delay in the closing of the seat.

In Fig. 5, the invention is exemplified in a trap which is connected to deliver sand to the rails,

When the compressed air reaches the through a sand delivery pipe |43, which leads horizontally away from the leg I2 of the casing. In this form of the invention, the automatic valve for controlling the clean-out, embodies elements similar to those described. Casing Illa is provided with a leg |221, which leads directly from the nozzle to the pipe Ma. A clean-out nozzle or duct is formed in the casing, to direct air into pipe Ida. A plug 35a is screw-threaded into said casing at the outer end of a chamber 21a which is `communicatively connected to the duct 28, as before described. Plug 3l]a is provided with a seat for a ball 32a which is adapted to roll in chamber 21a. Chamber 34, into which the air passes for the clean-out blast from the bore of plug 30e, is connected to duct 26a, which directs air forwardly into the bore of delivery pipe 14a. The operation of the automatic ball valve is substantially as before described. If desired, the bottom of passage 21a may be inclined downwardly away from plug 3Il=L to cause the ball to roll away from seat 3U, as illustrated in Fig. 5.

The invention exemplies a sand trap with a 'ball valve which is embodied in the casing of the sand trap, and automatically controls the duration of the clean-out blasts and which receives compressed air from an inlet duct formed in the casing from a single pipe which is controlled at the engineers valve, and dispenses with a remote control valve outside of the casing.

The invention is not to be understood as limited to the details described, since these may be modied within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In track sanding apparatus, a sand trap, comprising: a casing having embodied therein inlet and discharge legs for sand, a duct for delivering a clean-out blast to the discharge leg, and an elongated valve chamber; an air nozzle in the casing for discharging sand therefrom; a single connection for delivering air into the casing from an engineers control valve; means in the casing for conducting air from said connection to the nozzle and to said chamber; and a valve for automatically controlling a clean-out blast, disposed in the trap casing, and including a seat, and a valve member in said chamber normally spaced from said seat adapted for retarded movement by air from said connection to said seat, and to deliver a clean-out blast of limited duration to the clean-out duct during said retarded movement, and movable by gravity away from the seat when the supply of air to the connection is cut oi.

2. In track sanding apparatus, a sand trap comprising: a casing having embodied therein inlet and discharge legs for sand, a duct for delivering a clean-out blast to the discharge leg and an elongated valve chamber extending longitudinally of the connecting leg; an air-nozzle in the casing for discharging sand therefrom;

a single connection for delivering air directly into the casing from an engineers control valve; means in the trap casing for conducting air from said connection to the nozzle; a duct in the casing for conducting air from said connection to said chamber; and a valve for automatically controlling a clean-out blast, including a seat at one end of the chamber and a ball in, and of lesser diameter than, said chamber, and adapted for retarded movement to the seat by air from 5 said connection to deliver a clean-out blast of limited duration to the clean-out duct during said retarded movement and movable by gravity away from the seat when air to the connection is cut off.

3. In track Sanding apparatus, a sand trap comprising: a casing having embodied therein inlet and discharge legs for sand, a duct for delivering a clean-out blast to the discharge leg and an elongated valve chamber extending longitudinally of the connecting leg; an air nozzle in the casing for discharging sand therefrom; a single connection for delivering air directly into the casing from an engineers control valve; means in the trap casing for conducting air from said connection to the nozzle; a duct in the casing for conducting air from said connection to said chamber and extending around the inlet leg; and a valve for automatically controlling a clean-out blast including a seat at one end of the chamber and a ball in, and of lesser diameter than, said chamber, and adapted for retarded movement to the seat by air from said connection to deliver a clean-out blast of limited duration to the cleanout duct during said retarded movement and movable by gravity away from the seat when air to the connection is cut olf.

4. In track sanding apparatus, a sand trap comprising: a casing having embodied therein inlet and discharge legs for sand, a duct for delivering a clean-out blast to the discharge leg and an elongated valve chamber extending longitudinally of the connecting leg; an air nozzle in the casing for discharging sand therefrom; a single connection for delivering air directly into the casing from an engineers control valve; means in the trap casing for conducting air from said connection to the nozzle; a duct in the casing for conducting air from said connection to said chamber and extending around the inlet leg; and a valve for automatically controlling a clean-out blast, including a plug at one end of the chamber provided Wtih a seat and a ball in, and of lesser diameter than, said chamber, and adapted for retarded movement to the seat by air from said connection to deliver a clean-out blast of limited duration to the clean-out duct during said retarded movement and movable by gravity away from the seat When air to the connection is cut WILLIAM I-I. WHITE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 20,913 White Nov. 8, 1938 1,755,643 Gapp Apr. 22, 1930 1,784,051 Franz et al. Dec. 9, 1930 1,879,810 Light et al. Sept. 27, 1932 2,063,050 Ploen Dec. 8, 1936 2,259,593 Turner Oct. 21, 1941 

